Al Capone

Paper Summary:

This paper dispels the urban myth, which associates the brutal and destructive behavior of the infamous gangster Al Capone with the goodness of a legendary Robin Hood, which was the public image Capone attempted to cultivate in the community. The author describes Capone's career and his relationship with politicians and law enforcement agencies. The paper concludes that it was not surprising to find that the authorities could not document Capone's many murders because their prevailing behavior at every level of city, county and state government would have implicated themselves in the organized criminal graft and corruption of this period. The assessment of the federal government was that Capone and other gangsters like him were an indication of something morally awry in America.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Capone's Political Influence
The Murders
The G-Men
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The federal government felt a need to respond to the people's misdirected values and morals as it did to respond to the likes of Al Capone. The Department of Justice had a vision of handling crime in a way that would be a deterrent to organized crime and to lesser gangs and bank robbers. That vision included building super maximum prison complexes These complexes would use the notoriety of the inmates and their murderous crimes to serve as the impetus for the complexes; and the complexes would be unbeatable, meaning no breakouts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Failure to Prosecute." Manila Bulletin 19 Aug. 2004: NA. Questia. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5006730054>.
• Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States From Capone's Chicago to the New Urban Underworld. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. Questia. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=25992919>.
• "Light but Costly;." Manila Bulletin 25 Nov. 2006: NA. Questia. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5018154875>.
• Lindberg, Richard C. To Serve and Collect: Chicago Politics and Police Corruption from the Lager Beer Riot to the Summerdale Scandal. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991. Questia. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24258892>.
• Powers, Richard Gid. G-Men, Hoover's FBI in American Popular Culture. Ed. Daniel M. Finnegan. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1983. Questia. 18 Nov. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=100908479>.

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